I'm Here
by Reijeux
Summary: Slight GerIta. ItaHRE. Just because he had his body didn't mean that Germany was the Holy Roman Empire.  The Holy Roman Empire was dead, and as much as Veneziano didn't want to believe it, he still accepted it.


**Title:** I'm Here**  
>Pairing:<strong> GerIta (ItaHRE)**  
>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything.

**Note:** This has kind of been inspired by the doujinshi _Risorgimento_, which is probably one of my ultimate favorite doujins ever. I cannot for the life of me find part five, if there is one, so this fic was born to tide me over until I will hopefully be able to find that part, if it was ever released at all. So of course there might be _some_ similarities between this fic and that doujin- it's kind of a spin-off but not really? lol anywho.

Also, I understand it's okay to call Italy _Italy_, but my brain continuously says 'Romano is Italy too' so I will be referring to _Italy_ Italy as Veneziano.

* * *

><p>Germany's entire life, Veneziano had realized not too long ago, would have probably sounded like some sort of fairytale to the average person. The dark sort of fairytale- the kind you'd find in a book containing all of Grimm's stories.<p>

Germany's life wasn't as dark as those stories, but at the same time, it was.

His life was a sad story.

Germany hadn't realized that fact (there was no way he could have), but Italy did. So did Prussia. So did France. Only those three knew the truth about Germany.

As he watched Germany grow up (quite quickly) from the small, emotionless child to the serious, mighty country he was now, there were moments in time where Veneziano wanted to drop what he was doing and tell him everything.

He wanted to hug him tight and tell him who he was before. Tell him about all the promises they had made. He wanted to tell him how much he loved him and missed him.

Veneziano never did it. He couldn't.

That was back then. And now...

Just because he had his body didn't mean that Germany was the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire was dead, and as much as Veneziano didn't want to believe it, he still accepted it.

"He had that nightmare again, not too long ago."

_Cuck-oo. Cuck-oo_.

Veneziano hated the sounds of those clocks.

"I think West's too numb to cry about it anymore though."

_Cuck-oo. Cuck-oo._

He wanted to break those clocks. All of them.

"I think I'd go crazy," Prussia sat back in his chair, hands in his pockets. "y'know, dreaming about a death I didn't know actually happened."

Veneziano had heard of this dream at one point, when visiting Prussia's years ago when Germany was still a small child. When he had come in, Germany had been crying about it.

'_I can't move._'

'_There's water dripping everywhere and I can't breathe._'

'_I stay there for a long time and no one will help me._'

One hundred-sixty years was how long Holy Rome's death lasted. His death was one hundred-sixty years of just laying there, dying slowly, listening to the dripping water mock him.

The thought of him being alone all that time clenched at Veneziano's chest every time his mind drifted to that _nightmare_.

Veneziano had thought the nightmares had gone for good until Prussia brought it up again, with those _damn cuckoo clocks_ going off at times they shouldn't be going off.

"I feel so guilty," Prussia said. "He's my baby brother, y'know? I can't do anything, because there's nothing any of us can do to stop the nightmares. There's no point telling him about the past. It would only make things worse."

Veneziano felt the same way, no matter how much he wanted to tell Germany about his past-life.

_Cuck-oo_.

"Aghh, dammit, these things are driving me crazy! I'm gonna go out and get away from all this noise. Wanna come with?"

_Cuck-oo_.

"I'll stay here."

_Cuck-oo_.

Prussia scrunched his nose at the sound, "Alright, suit yourself. If West asks where I am, I'm off harassing hardworking citizens and being _ein fauler Sack_. That'll twist at the stick up his ass." Veneziano couldn't help but laugh as the white-haired nation left.

Turning his attention towards the door to Germany's workshop, he could hear the man sawing and hammering away as he worked on one clock after another.

Before the Italian could let his mind wander, Germany finally left the room, looking as though he hadn't slept in months and... well... all-in-all, Veneziano would have been surprised if Germany _wasn't_ sore from all the work he had been doing.

_Cuck-oo_.

"Blasted France..." Germany muttered under his breath. "Where's my brother?" As much as Veneziano wanted to tell him what Prussia said (it wasn't even the truth, anyway), he couldn't. Not when the blonde was in this state.

"He went out for a little while. I don't know when he'll be back."

"Figures." Germany sighed. "You finish with the painting?"

Veneziano smiled brightly, gesturing to his favorite of the incomplete, _quiet_ cuckoo clocks, "Si! This one happens to be my best work yet!" Correction: His best work of what he had even been able to paint at all, lately.

"Mm. Alright. You can leave."

As big as Germany was, he looked so pitiful at that moment.

"Alright, I'll go..." Veneziano hopped up from his stool. "Make sure you get lots of sleep tonight!"

"Ha..." Germany leaned on the counter, careful not to knock the _damned cuckoo birds_ off the edge with his arm. "I doubt I'll be getting any sleep."

Veneziano knew him well enough to know-even without Prussia telling him-that it wasn't the current reality that would be keeping him from sleep, but _that nightmare_.

"Well... I won't leave until you fall asleep!"

"Go home!" Even Germany was surprised by his own upset outburst, but even that didn't stop Veneziano from feeling unwanted (not that he didn't exactly feel... _wanted_ around the taller man, but it didn't seem like that big of a problem). Pinching the bridge of his nose, Germany let out a long, slow breath. "I'm sorry... you can stay if you'd like. I just... will not sleep tonight."

_It's your nightmare, isn't it?_ Veneziano wanted to ask him. He couldn't bring it up; not for Germany, but for the fact that the nightmare was too painful to talk about himself.

"Germany," he said instead. "C'mon. You really need to lay down." Germany, too fatigued to argue anymore, let the smaller man lead him to his room. Of course, as it was Germany's house, the bed was all fixed and tidy, and everything was picked up.

This time, however, Veneziano doubted everything was in order because Germany was a clean-freak. Everything was in order because he probably hadn't stepped foot in that room for days.

The Italian sat him down on the bed, "Where are your night clothes?"

"Top drawer..." Veneziano dug through the top drawer of the dresser across the room and pulled out some clothes. He tossed them onto the bed. "Okay, change!"

Germany sat for a moment.

"What are you doing? Don't you know the meaning of the word 'change'?"

"I can't change with you standing there _watching_ me."

Veneziano let out a sigh, putting a hand on his own hip, "It's nothing I haven't seen before! We're both men, right?"

"Still!"

"Okay, okay." He turned around to face the wall. _We're both men, right?_ Of course Germany knew that- there was no way he would think that Italy was a girl, for some reason. Germany was not Holy Rome and this was not back then, where anybody could confuse Italy for a girl.

It saddened him, really. The only reason why Holy Rome believed he was a girl for so long was because Veneziano realized that had been what he thought, thus leading him to play along.

He wasn't that dumb as a child.

He didn't want to lose Holy Rome just because he was a boy.

"Okay, done." Breaking from his thoughts, Veneziano turned to find Germany setting his dirty clothes in the basket in the corner of the room.

"Good!" The Italian started removing his own clothes-

"What are you doing?"

"Going to sleep, you silly-face!"

"I-in here? W-with me? NAKED?"

"Don't worry! I'm leaving my underwear on this time, just for you! See?"

"_Italy_."

"Don't argue with me tonight, Germany! Lay down!"

With a groan, Germany obeyed. On any other night, or day, he would have taken Veneziano by the leg and throw him out of his house. The Italian was lucky tonight.

As soon as the blonde made himself comfortable facing the wall, Veneziano got into the bed as well.

_I want to make your nightmares go away_.

He slowly placed his hand on Germany's side, causing the man to tense.

"Italy. What are you doing."

"Just close your eyes and sleep." Veneziano said soothingly. Even more gently, he added, "...I'll be here with you..."

_You're not going to be alone like that ever again._

He heard Germany swallow before grunting, "F-fine, alright."

It took a while before he could hear Germany's steady breathing, indicating he was fast asleep. Veneziano rested his forehead against the bigger man's back, closing his eyes.

_I can't protect you out there... but let me do so here..._

When Veneziano woke up again, the sun was slowly creeping into the room. Germany had drastically switched his sleeping position around some time during the night so he was hugging the smaller male tightly. Veneziano's chin was resting on top of his head, with one leg draped over Germany's waist.

It was a... comforting position, to say the least, as if the Italian really was protecting his friend.

Veneziano found himself caressing that blonde head of hair, resting his eyes once more.

_I'm here, Holy Rome. _

_No..._

_Not Holy Rome. _

_...Germany. _

_...You're not alone..._

_You never will be. Not like that. Not again._

_I'm here._

**end**

_ein fauler Sack_ - A lazy bum

a/nTh-there might be a few typos here and there and if I used "_ein fauler Sack_" incorrectly then can someone let me know and teach me the correct way to use it in a sentence as Prussia did? ;A;

Reviews are love. :)


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